Mythical Blossoms
by Gazlover12-Canada
Summary: Two different magical races are at war. Alfred is trying to do what he thinks is right, but it gets hard when he starts falling for his enemy. UsUk AU R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**Yes, I know what you're all thinking..."Why Kristen, why are you starting another story when you've already got more three going on?" To answer that question, this story is one that I have been working on at school since I've been grounded for the past week with no access to my other stories. This is my first AU story so hopefully it isn't terrible. Frankly, I will be focusing more on my other stories unless this gets a lot of good feedback. I'll tell you something though; this story is going to get pretty interesting. **

_Chapter 1: The Veitras and the Amethysts_**  
**

"Toris seriously! Think about what your doing." Alfred hissed, arms folded as he watched his best friend through wide eyes. Toris however wasn't listening as he threw what little belongings he owned into a small tan shoulder bag.

"I know what I'm doing Alfred" Toris responded, his back facing Alfred. "This is my choice."

"If anyone finds out then you'll be killed! People wont hesitate to turn you in!" Alfred pleaded once more. Both teens held their breath at a creaking sound that had come from towards the door, sighing in relief when it was just a mouse.

"We've talked about this. I don't believe in the Veitra ways. Feliks showed me the right way to handle magic. Oh Alfred...if only you could see the way that Amethysts live. Everything is so free!" Toris breathed, eyes lighting up as he remembered whatever the things that he had learned on his many forbidden outings. "And that is why I must leave."

For the past four months the blue eyed teen had stood by as Toris slowly fell for the other side. The enemy. Amethysts were nothing but vermin who got in the way as the Veitras progressed in their power. Ever since Alfred had learned to talk, he was taught about how evil the Amethysts were. Now because of them, Alfred was being forced to watch as his closest, most dearest friend ran away.

"Running away wont change things. You'll always be a Veitra. It's in your blood." Alfred said coldly.

The Amethysts had gotten to Toris, brainwashed him with their coy, malevolent magic. Their disgusting fairy magic. Now there was nothing he could do.

"Look Al, I know your not that happy with my decision but...please know that I'll miss you." Tories said softly, hoisting himself up onto the windowsill. "Goodbye Alfred."

With that, Tories ever so quietly slipped his thin frame out from the open window. Alfred's heart thumped with both fear and distress. He would never see Tories again, if he even made it out. If Toris were to be caught...

Alfred cursed to himself quietly, trying to peer out into the darkness in hopes of catching one last glimpse of Toris. How had he been so foolish, just standing there and allowing him to leave? If anything he should have turned Toris in. A true Veitra would have done so.

Eight years ago Alfred had met Toris, when they were both ten. Under Veitra law, all ten year olds were sent to the Magic Academy in hopes of becoming something useful, like a Warrior, Professor, or even a Healer. Alfred's mother had sent him and his twin Matthew there on the night of their Birthday.

Toris had already been at the Academy for a few weeks before Alfred and Matthew had arrived. He was the one who showed Alfred around the grounds. It was a beautiful place too, with silver doorways and Porcelain flooring. Children were treated well there, with fine meals and fun they grew older though, pupils were taught of things more serious than how to read, write, and translate basic letters. They were taught how to use and control Magic.

Magic was a very serious thing. Veitras used Magic for many things, but most of all for war. It helped them gain territory and spread their ways to uncivilized, wild cultures. Like the Amethysts for an example.

The Amethysts used fairy born Magic. Out of all the different cultures, they were the ones who fought against the Veitras the most. The claimed that the Veitras supposedly mistreated the magic. Alfred's teacher had taught them that this was the exact opposite though. The Veirtas had studied and changed the Magic to make it work properly.

Going back to the present, Alfred quickly left the room to go back to his dorm. If anyone saw him, they would know that Alfred had helped Toris run away. After all, everyone knew they were best friends.

It didn't take too long for him to jog two stories up to section D, where the oldest students of the Academy lived. In only two months he would graduate to become a Warrior because of his praising strength and powerful Magic. It was a shame that Toris had left. He would have become something along the lines of a Professor because of his wisdom.

The room was lit with one dim candle when Alfred opened his door. He shared the room with three other students, one of which was his brother Matthew. Matthew had always worried Alfred, because of his lack of strength and power. All the time he would loose the fighting practices, acting like he didn't care about fighting for the Veitra ways. Luckily Matthew had been chosen to be a Healer, and he was proving to be very useful.

"Brother?" Matthew asked with a yawn, hearing the squeak of the door as Alfred entered.

"I was just going to the bathroom. Go back to sleep brother." Alfred whispered quietly, finally letting down his tense posture when Matthew snuggled deeper into his covers. He crossed the room to his own bed by the window, laying down and gazing at the blue crystal moon in the sky.

"I really hope you don't die Toris" He whispered. "Even if you are the enemy now"

With that, Alfred closed his eyes and fell into a fretful sleep.

The next day just as Alfred suspected, all student's were called to the Main Lobby at mid-day. The disappearance of Toris had been discovered. It was rare that all four sectors of students were called, all A, B, D, and C. It made the oval shaped room very crowded. The younger students looked nervous, as this was also the room where traitors were sentenced to death or life imprisonment.

"There's been a rumor" Matthew whispered, "That Toris has run away."

"Toris?" Antonio, another student questioned. "He doesn't seem like the type of person to run away. You were close to him right Alfred? Did he say anything to you about it?"

Alfred stiffened at being addressed, but put on his best clueless facade. "I have no idea. He didn't mention anything to me about it, but the last few days he was acting pretty strange."

Before another word could be uttered, there was a loud rapping sound from the high stand towards the front of the room. Everyone was silent. There stood Ludwig Beilschmidt, one of the highest ranks in the academy despite only being 21. Though Ludwig was normally a nice man, when it came to serious matters he could be quite cold.

"I'm afraid that I have some rather..._unsettling_ news." Ludwig spoke slowly, his blue eyes surveying room full of shocked expressions. "A student by the name of Toris Laurinitis has run away. For those of you who do not know, Toris is eighteen years of age, meaning that he belongs in sector D. This morning Veitra guards searched around the grounds, and he seemed to have went East. Can anyone tell me what exactly is in the East?"

A young timid girl raised her hand. Ludwig nodded at her to speak so she cleared her voice and murmured something.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think anyone heard you. Could you please speak up?" Ludwig asked. The girl looked like she was about to start crying as she slowly spoke again.

"The East i-is where most Amethyst p-people live sir." She said.

"Exactly" Ludwig said sharply, causing most people to jump. "It seems that Toris went towards the Amethyst civilizations. The question I want to know is _why_?"

Nobody spoke up. The silence seemed to be eating away at Alfred's bones. What was going to happen? Would they suspect that he knew? What if they eventually found Toris?

"If your name is called from the following list I am about to read, you are to stay behind for a few questions." Ludwig said, before pulling a tiny piece of parchment from his tunic pocket. "Raivis Galante from sector B, Eduard Von Beck from sector C, and Alfred Jones from sector D."

Alfred felt his heart stir when his name was called, trying to clamp down on his panic. It was only natural that they would want to question him. After all, they were best friends right? That didn't mean that they suspected anything from him...right?

"Alright, now that the names have been called the rest of you are dismissed. Go back to your classes."

Everyone began whispering again as they all shuffled out of the room. Matthew smiled gently at his brother, laying a hand on Alfred's shoulder.

"Don't worry Al, it's sort of obvious that they would want to talk to you. Just keep a clear head and admit that you had nothing to do with it. You _are_ innocent after all." He said encouragingly. Alfred nodded and gave his winning smile to his brother, but inside he was screaming. '_That's the thing. I'm not innocent!_'

Eventually it was just Alfred and the other two students left in the room, along with Ludwig. Alfred recognized both of them. Raivis was a younger student at age thirteen, but a good friend of Toris's nonetheless. Eduard was also close to Toris, and was seventeen years of age. It wouldn't be long until he got moved to sector D.

Ludwig slowly stepped down from his stand and walked towards them, his footsteps echoing around the long walls. Raivis and Eduard were both shaking a little, but not nearly as much then when they were around Ivan Braginski.

Ivan Braginski was no student, nor was he a teacher or a soldier. He was the King of all Veitras, and he lived in the palace that was not far from the Academy. Raivis, Eduard, and Toris had all been assigned to Ivan as part-time personal servants. All three of them felt unsettled around the king.

King Ivan did his job well. It was very rare that they ever lost land. Ever since his becoming the King, Ivan had gained them more Amethyst territory than they had won in over ten years. He was worshiped by many despite his rather...slightly creepy demeanor. Alfred had only met him once, and to be honest he didn't exactly like him.

"So" Ludwig said, gazing at all three of them. "I'm sure you are all upset about the disappearance of your friend."

For a moment if was silent, before Eduard spoke. "Yes...I find it quite upsetting."

"Me too" Raivis said. Alfred nodded mutely alongside them, trying his best to look upset. Ludwig studied them all for a moment longer before clearing his throat.

"Do any of you have the slightest clue as of why he ran away?"

"No sir" All three of them said at once, shaking their heads.

"...So you don't have any idea at all?" Ludwig asked once again. When they didn't answer, the guard sighed, shaking his head.

"Very well, you two may leave." He said to Raivis and Eduard. Both of them all but ran from the room. Alfred calmly stood still as they waited for the others to leave. Finally Ludwig brought his gaze back to Alfred.

"You were the closest to Toris right? I find it very hard to believe that he wouldn't have told you anything."

The short silence was a little nerve wrecking, especially with Ludwig's cold gaze, his icy blue eyes boring into Alfred's sky blue ones. The teen shifted, trying desperately to think of something to say that would make him sound innocent. It was a little hard to do such a thing around anybody here, especially Ludwig. It was as if the man could read your thoughts.

"Honestly Sir, he didn't say a thing to me. That's why I'm so upset...my best friend didn't even tell me anything." Alfred said, smiling on the inside at his awesome lying skills. For another moment Ludwig was silent before finally nodding.

"Very well Alfred, you may go. However you must understand that you are going to be watched closely." He said.

"Understandable!" Alfred said in relief, turning around to leave. "Let me know if you guys find him."

After leaving the room, Alfred felt a major rush of relief swarm into his system. Thank god Toris had at least made it without being caught so far. Chances were that he'd already reached his _beloved_ Amethysts. Just thinking of Toris living with them made Alfred see red. One of his closest friends had left his own people to live with the enemy. It just wasn't right.

_'I should have stopped him...I should have stopped him...' _Alfred couldn't help but keep thinking as he reached his quarters. When he arrived he saw that Matthew had been waiting up for him.

"I'm glad you made it alive out of Ludwig's interrogation." Matthew said with a chuckle from his seat at the end of Alfred's bed.

"Yeah" Alfred murmured, a little distracted from his own thoughts.

"Alfred...you didn't _really _know anything about Toris's departure, right?" Matthew asked timidly.

"Of course not!" Alfred snapped, instantly feeling bad when Matthew cringed. He also felt horrible for lying. Of course Matthew would never turn him in, but he really didn't want his brother getting involved in this. He would never forgive himself if something happened to Matthew. He had already allowed his best friend's mind to be tainted from horrible Amethyst magic...he couldn't bear to loose two people he cared about.

"I wonder why Toris would even consider going to the Amethysts...I mean, what would trigger him too?" Matthew wondered idly.

"No idea" Alfred responded. "It's not like there's anything special about the Amethysts. They just get in the way of our race advancing. Obviously something went wrong inside Tories. Listen Matt, whatever you do, _stay out any trouble with the law_. Now that someone of our sector has run away, we're going to be watched closely."

"I know, you don't have to worry Alfred" Matthew reassured him. "So long as you promise me that _you_ wont cause any trouble either."

"I wont" Alfred promised. "Well...we should probably get to bed I suppose."

"Okay" Matthew smiled, leaving Alfred's bed to climb into his own. "Good night brother."

"Good night Mattie" Alfred said, getting under his covers. Though he tried to sleep, it was impossible. His mind was far too jittery. He wondered what Toris was doing at this very moment. Most likely sleeping...but still. Was he with the Amethysts right now, or was he perhaps all alone in the woods by himself? Honestly though, why on earth would he choose the Amethysts over the Veitras? Was there something that Alfred was missing here? No...no, he couldn't think things like that. The Amethysts were the bad ones, not the Veitras.

Still, what on earth could be so interesting about the Amethysts?

**_()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()_**

Arthur Kirkland sat cross legged by his favorite stream just outside his village. He sighed, inhaling the sent of wildflowers and fresh air. Today was pleasantly nice out, as the sun shone high in the sky. There was a gentle breeze too, making the temperature perfect as it wasn't to hot, nor cold.

Just a few feet away from him were two rabbits who were cautiously sniffing their surroundings. Arthur smiled, gently taking a piece of bread from his leather pouch. He broke it into two pieces, slowly holding it out to the two small animals. The rabbits crept slowly over to Arthur's awaiting hand before leaning their heads down and nibbling at the yummy treat. Arthur smiled, tracing a finger along one rabbits soft ear.

This was how he spent most of his free time, down by this lovely stream with the beauty of nature. Most of the time he would do something to occupy himself while relaxing down here as well, such as needlework or reading. Luckily this village had a library with over 200 books. Of course that was nothing compared to the library from his homeland, Britannia. The Britannian Library had more than 50,000 books...or at least it used to. Until the Veitra soldiers burned it down.

Just thinking about those horrid Magic abusers made Arthur boil with anger. They had ruined everything! Because of them, his family was dead. Since Britannia was one of the most ancient Magic bearing places, that had been the Veitra's first and most main target despite it being occupied by mostly Amethysts. Now thousands of skilled Magic bearers were either imprisoned as slaves or dead.

Luckily Arthur had escaped somehow, ending up across the ocean, all the way to the New World. He was happy with his life now at least, but he still missed his once beautiful homeland. Now it was most likely dark and full of sickness, death, rubble, and Veitra people.

"Arthur! Where are you?" A highly accented French voice interrupted the teen from his thoughts. The rabbits startled, quickly bounding away into the bushes. Arthur cursed to himself. _'How the bloody hell does he always find the perfect time to interrupt me?'_

"I'm busy frog, what do you need?" He asked, rising from his spot in the grass. Francis Bonnefoy, another Amethyst just like Arthur, emerged through the trees and smiled brightly upon seeing him.

"I'm afraid your daydreaming is going to have to be put on hold. Tino and Berwald are busy teaching the young ones, so that means you must help me with dinner." Francis said, laughing when Arthur sent him a disgruntled expression. "This time I'll supervise you with the roast so it wont come out looking like charcoal."

"You git!" Arthur yelled. "That was one time!"

Francis only laughed as they made their way back towards the small village. By calling it small, there was no over exaggeration. There were only a little more than 24 people living there. The Amethyst population was deteriorating drastically. Veitra soldiers made it their special goal to take out the young Amethyst children first, to 'Prevent them from breeding' An ancient Veitra King once said. Here, there were only about six young children who were healthy and alive. This village was well hidden within the thick forests of the New World, up in the East where it was safe..for the time being.

It was fairly a pleasant place to live, because everyone knew each other. The head one in charge of this village was Elizaveta, a fierce warrior who had actually fought against the Veitra first hand. Arthur envied her, for he would have been more than happy to kill as many Veitras as possible.

"Arthur, there you are!" A light voice said cheerfully. Arthur smiled when Tino came out of one of the tents. Tino, along with his husband Berwald had been much like parent figures for Arthur. When he had first arrived in the New World all by himself, Francis had found him and brought him back to the village where Tino had fed and taken care of him until his health was better.

"Hello Tino, how are the young ones doing?" Arthur asked.

"Very well!" Tino said, smiling brightly. "They're finally beginning to understand the concepts of water magic. Pretty soon we can move onto tree growing!"

Tino and Berwald both helped the children in the village learn to use their magic the right away, to help nature grow and happiness spread. It wasn't as easy as it sounded. Arthur himself was only just beginning to master fire spells, and he had been learning magic for a long time. Tino personally tutored him every night.

Arthur was a very powerful Amethyst, but he always learned things slower than others. Even when he lived in Britannia, he was always slower compared to the others in his class, though most others could feel great power within him. Tino said that the best Magic Bearers developed the slowest, but Arthur was beginning to doubt him.

"Well, I'd better go help the frog with dinner. Tell Berwald that I'll bring in the wood for the evening fire." Arthur said, waving goodbye before catching up to Francis.

Francis was something else. He came all the way from Gaul by his own choice. Gaul was not that far from Britannia, but it was still inhabited with many Amethysts. Francis had moved here only a few years before Arthur himself arrived. He had shoulder length wavy blonde hair and dark blue eyes. Francis also always wore a smug look, whether through a smirk or through his posture. He was also a very skilled magic bearer himself, though not as good as Tino or Berwald, or even Elizaveta.

Cooking was something that Arthur did enjoy, but cooking with Francis certainly aggravated him. According to everyone else, Arthur was a very bad cook while Francis was a wonderful one. The Frenchman certainly liked to tease him about that.

Arthur lived in a small hut with Francis, Tino, and Berwald. It was very beautiful, with flowers growing in the windowsills and paintings of the Moon and Constellations, which were very holy to Amethysts. Arthur slept up in the loft on a soft bed made of feathers and silk. He and Francis both shared the loft, though they slept on separate sides. Arthur's bed was near the window, so he could see the stars every night.

"Come now Arthur, at least try to cut tomatoes evenly." Francis said lightheartedly from beside the oven.

"Shut up frog, I'm doing it fine!" Arthur growled, chopping up the red fruit furiously.

They continued working on dinner for several more minutes. Arthur became lost in his thoughts. For some reason today he was remembering his family. Not his new family here, but his old family. It was a little hard to remember everything about them. There were his older brothers, and then his mum. His dad had been part of the resistance against the Veitras so he had barely ever been home. His mum though...she was the most beautiful woman in the world. Everything she did was elegant. The way she would sing to Arthur and his siblings, or cook delicious meals. The memory that pained him most was the one of his younger brother Peter. Peter had been five when the family got killed but somehow...somehow his little brother had went missing. Most likely he was a slave somewhere.

"What are you thinking about mon cher? You seem very lost in thought." Francis commented after awhile, stirring Arthur from his thoughts.

"I was thinking about my family." Arthur said nonchalantly, wiping his tomato juice infested hands on his tunic.

"Your family." Francis said, but it was not a question. "Arthur you don't have to think about that right now. You have a new family here. Tino, Berwald, and I love you very much. You are my brother mon cher."

"Yes, I know, and I thank you for that" Arthur said. "I just cant help but remember. And I don't understand how I just so suddenly appeared all the way in The New World. I didn't even try using magic."

"Be thankful that you ended up here." Francis told him, voice growing a little sterner. "If not then you would have died."

"I know that!" Arthur snapped, green eyes blazing. "I still cant help but wonder _how _I ended up here though!"

"Because your special" Francis told him gently. "Tino says so, and I believe him. Anyone can sense the magic radiating off of you from miles away Arthur."

"Pfft, as if" Arthur rolled his eyes. "I can't even properly make a bonfire Francis! If I cant do that, then how on earth was I able to teleport myself to a whole different country?"

Just as Francis opened his mouth to respond, shouting could be heard fro outside. Each of the two Amethysts looked at each other before quickly running out of the hut. To Arthur's great surprise, he saw a small crowd of the villagers had gathered around something. Upon moving closer, Arthur could hear Feliks' voice coming from somewhere in the middle of the crowd. Feliks was the best sewer in the village, often being the one who made most of the clothes for people. He was also great with decorating.

"It's like, completely okay everybody! This is the guy I told you about...this is Toris!" Feliks was saying.

Finally when Arthur saw what everyone was looking at, his eyes just about popped out of his head. Standing next to Feliks was another person. However, there was something extremely wrong with the other person. He was wearing a Veitra uniform! Arthur gave a low hiss, fists curling up. His palms felt hot, as if he was just on the verge of shooting a deadly curse as the Veitra.

"Calm down Arthur" Francis murmured, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Let's see what this is all about."

Arthur released his breath, but didn't move from his wary pose. Instead he studied the Veitra further. He had light brown hair that went down to the tips of his shoulders. Despite looking as old as Feliks, the Veitra looked a lot scrawnier. What did Feliks say his name was again...Toris? Yes, _Toris_ was wearing a light red shirt with the Veitra symbol on it.

"Okay everyone, be calm please!" Tino called out order, immediately bringing a silence to the worried murmuring that came from the unsettled villagers. The small but powerful Amethyst then stepped over to stand directly in front of Toris, Berwald staying behind him.

"Hello Toris, I am Tino." He said pleasantly, reaching out to shake Toris' hand. "I welcome you to our village, for Feliks has told me much about you."

Arthur spluttered in disbelief. Tino _knew_ that Feliks was friends with a Veitra? What the hell? Before he could say anything though, Tino had turned around to face all of them.

"You have nothing to fear. Toris understands the wrongdoings of the Veitras. He wants to study our magic now, and learn the right way to control it. From here on out he will be staying in Feliks' hut with him. I expect you all to be kind to him, is that understood?" Tino asked them all lightly, but you could hear the seriousness hidden in his tone. Everyone nodded mutely.

"I-I'm sorry for startling all of you" Toris spoke for the first time. Arthur was shocked to hear that his voice was so...so soft. In his mind he had imagined all Veitras to have cold and hearless voices and expressions. Toris though, sounded as if he were nothing of a threat.

"You have nothing to be sorry for." Feliks told him. All was silent for a moment, for nobody was sure of what to do next. Tino was the first one to act, gripping onto Berwald's hand before turning to face Francis and Arthur.

"It's getting quite late isn't it? How is dinner fairing along you two?" He asked.

"Er...it's just about done" Francis answered him, blinking.

"Excellent!" Tino said brightly. "Come along then, let's go."

As Tino and Berwald went back to the hut, for a moment everyone just stood there dumbly. Finally Feliks and Toris went to their own hut, so Arthur followed Francis back to theirs. When they got back inside, Tino and Berwald were waiting patiently, dinner already on the table. Nobody spoke for awhile, until finally Arthur slammed his cup of milk down abruptly, glaring at Tino.

"What the bloody hell just happened out there?" He shouted. "Why would you allow a Veitra into our village?"

"Arthur" Berwald started warningly, but was stopped by Tino.

"Toris is no Veitra, Arthur" He said simply. "We welcome anyone into our village so long as they aren't a threat. I do not see Toris as a threat. He and Feliks are very close...perhaps closer then you understand."

"They're in love?" Francis blurted out in question.

"Yes, yes they are." Tino answered.

"Ha, as if that matters!" Arthur spat. "He still grew up in a Veitra environment! An enemy is what he is...a bloody enemy who should be banned from this village and left to die in the streets. The Veitras showed no remorse for killing us even when we claimed not to want war, so why should we be kind to them?"

"Arthur, I want you to finish your meal and then go outside." Tino said softly, but his voice was firm. "We shall skip your magic lessons for tonight, but I want you to walk around and think. Remember this though; if we killed every Veitra we saw, then we would be no better then them."

Arthur could only see red as he stood from the table angrily, storming out from the hut. It just wasn't fair! The Veitras were bad people! Toris could be a spy...he could be evil and reveal their village's secret location to his superiors and get them all killed! These thoughts echoed in his mind as he walked through the forest until coming to his favorite spot by the small stream. The moonlight lit up the area, causing a beautiful silvery glow upon the earth.  
He plopped down against the soft grass, resting his arms behind his head.

Suddenly he began to feel a pang of sadness seep into his heart. He wondered if Peter was okay. What if he was dead already like the rest of his family? Or was he a slave and being mercilessly beat and spat upon everyday? None of this was right. Why couldn't all different magic bearers just get along peacefully? Arthur felt tears well up into his eyes. Crying was something that he didn't do often, but sometimes when he was alone...

The normally colorful flowers around Arthur turned into a shade of light glowing blue, wilting slightly.

_'Tino is right'_ Arthur finally concluded silently through his muffled sobs. _'Wanting to kill the Veitras makes me no better then them'_

For awhile he cried quietly, face buried into the grass. When he felt a hand land lightly on his shoulder, he jerked and turned around, only to come face to face with Francis.

"W-what do you want Frog?" He asked, hurriedly wiping at his face to get rid of any evidence of tears.

"It's late out. Tino and Berwald have already gone to bed...I was worried about you." Francis said gently. "Please come back inside Arthur."

The teen then came to a conclusion. Yes, he had lost his family. However, he had gained a new one in return, a family who he equally cared about. Francis meant as much to him as his real brothers had, and possibly even more than that. Tino and Berwald made excellent mentors as well. He had a good life here, with people who cared for and understood him. He had only arrived a few years back, but it still seemed as if he belonged here...

_Flashback: 5 years ago_

_Arthur's head was spinning as he tried to stand. It was impossible though, for his limbs were too heavy. His while body ached fiercely, and he had no idea where he was. Just moments ago he had been surrounded by screaming people, and buildings in flames. Now all was dark and silent, and it scared the boy terribly. The last thing before this he had remembered was his beloved home being attacked. His mother...his brothers...they were gone. Vetira soldiers had killed them right in front of Arthur. His mother had screamed for him to run, and that was exactly what Arthur had did. He had taken Peter's hand and ran quickly through the mob of screaming families._

_Then the crowd had gotten too thick...he had lost grip of Peter's hand. When he had found his five year old brother it was too late. He was in the grasps of the Veitras, which had given Arthur no choice but to run widely though the streets and hope not to be caught. Then he had felt a bright blue flame engulf from his heart, and he had performed some sort of spell. Now he was...here. Where 'here' was though, Arthur hadn't a clue._

_Suddenly Arthur heard footsteps. Someone was nearby! Who was it? A Veitra? No! Arthur weakly moaned, trying to crawl away even though it was pretty much impossible. He heard a gasp, and then whispering. Then strong hands lifted him up and he was cradled against someone's chest. He had weakly cried out, not able to see much from his blurred vision. The figure gently mumbled something, pressing his fingertips to Arthur's heart. A small purple glow flowed from the fingers and directly to his heart. He suddenly felt very warm and sleepy, immediately letting darkness take over._

_That had been when Tino and Berwald rescued Arthur. Apparently they had found him like this not far from the village. They took him home, where he lay weak and feverish for several days before finally becoming fully aware of his surroundings. The whole time he was in this state, he had kept calling out for his mother, and for his older brothers, but most of all for Peter._

_Finally when he was better physically Tino had introduced himself along with Francis and Berwald, who had also helped care for him. When Arthur found out that he was no longer in Britannia but instead in the New World, it had come as a great shock for the 13 year old. They had helped him though...and not long after that, Arthur began to consider them as his family._

_End of Flashback_

Arthur suddenly smiled, nodding at Francis. "Alright, let's go home."

Francis grinned back, and grasped Arthur's hand, pulling him up from the ground. Just as they were about to begin walking back towards the village, things began to darken. The hair on the back of Arthur's neck prickled, and he and Francis both turned around. They came face to face with none other then three Veitra soldiers, all holding spheres which had been enchanted to be lit on fire as well.

"Don't either of you move" The closest Veitra said. "Or you will regret it deeply."

Arthur cast a sideways glance to Francis, silently asking him if they should fight back. Francis tilted his head a fraction to the side, an indication that meant no. The two other Veitras came behind them, tying their hands tightly behind their backs with rope. Many things were swarming through Arthur's mind. What were Veitras doing around here? Most likely looking for Toris or something...would they find the village? It wasn't too sat from here. Oh god, they couldn't find the village!

"You are now in the custody of the Veitra army of King Ivan." The soldier spoke again, but his voice quivered slightly as he eyed Arthur of all people. He must have been sensing Arthur's magic...it did surprise a lot of people at first.

"And just what have we done?" Francis asked angrily. "This is too far east to be considered Veitra territory. You have no right to capture us!"

"All Veitra soldiers have been ordered to take in any Amethysts near here. One of our own had run away towards this direction. You will both be brought back for questioning and imprisonment." The main soldier said, still eying Arthur warily. "If you try anything we wont hesitate to slaughter you like the disgusting magic dwellers you are."

Yep, so it _was_ Toris that had triggered this. The soldiers were looking for him, and now thanks to that idiot Arthur and Francis were captured. Obviously they would have to escape somehow, but every time Arthur looked at Francis for a signal the Frenchman would just shake his head slightly. They were herded to where they had horses waiting, and Arthur and Francis were each lifted up and set on the backs of them before the soldiers took off, luckily in the opposite direction of the village.

By now Arthur was so angry that he considered just trying to escape with or without Francis' help. His rage began to worsen, and Arthur felt his palms heat up. Suddenly much to his surprise, the ropes on his hands began to burn off. His green eyes widened, and Arthur knew that he would be in trouble for accidentally burning his ropes. Then again...perhaps he could use this to an advantage. From behind him Francis saw what had happened, and was shaking his head desperately.

_'Not now Arthur...we'll escape later. It's too close to the village to risk anything. Just wait until we arrive to their city' _Francis mouthed. Arthur's eyes widened slightly. Of course, how idiotic of him! If he escaped right now then the soldiers would be able to track where they went, and they would discover the village! Yes, they would have to escape later, though it would be more of a challenge.

Oh well, Arthur liked a challenge.

**_()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()_**

The whole city was in an uproar of excitement. Apparently the previous night two young Amethysts had been captured and brought into custody, where they would be questioned by none other than King Ivan himself about the disappearance of Toris. The trial was not long from now, and the best thing of all was that it was being held publicly!

Alfred had never seen Amethysts before, so it would certainly be interesting. This still caused him to worry a bit too, because what if these two Amethysts knew Toris? Then they would give away his location and Toris would be killed! Alfred really didn't want this to happen, to he shook with both excitement and worry.

The main room of Ivan's castle was crowded, but luckily Alfred had caught site of Matthew, who had somehow obtained a front seat, and was patting the empty one next to him in a gesture of Alfred to sit.

"Wow Matt, how did you get such good seats?" He asked in wonder.

"I finished all my work and was able to make it here early." Matthew responded, smiling slightly at his brother.

"This trial is going to be interesting...I've never seen an Amethyst before! What d'you suppose they look like?" Alfred asked.

"They probably look the same as us...but I think I've heard somewhere before that Amethyst's have flawless pale skin and bright eyes. Once I was reading this book that described them as beautiful but evil creatures. Personally though, I doubt there's much of a difference. I mean, we're both humans and stuff, we just use different magic which alters our appearance slightly." Matthew rambled nervously until Alfred stopped him.

"Calm down Mattie, why the hell are you so tense? Is it the trial?" Alfred asked.

"Well...sort of" Matthew whispered weakly. "I just don't entirely agree with the whole concept. These Amethysts haven't done anything, they were just caught out in the woods. I-I just don't think it's fair. For all we know, they might not have any information about Toris at all. It's not humane." Matthew whispered. Alfred blinked in shock.

"But they're Amethysts!" He protested.

"I don't care! How would you feel if you were just taking a walk and Amethysts came along and-"

"SILENCE! THE TRAIL SHALL NOW BEGAN!" A booming voice interrupted the chatter filled room, bringing everyone to silence. "We now give you, KING IVAN!"

The whole room burst into applause, and the King himself emerged from a curtain. He was dressed in a dark red robe, purple eyes shining as he waved to everyone. He then opened his mouth and announced four words.

"Bring in the prisoners!"

A back door of the castle was opened, and that was when he saw them. Alfred's mouth hung open as he took in the scene before him. Five guards emerged, and three of them were holding onto an Amethyst that immediately caught Alfred's attention. He was short and slim, but looked strong at the same time. His eyes were a blazing green. Since Alfred sat in the front seat, he was so close that he could almost reach out and touch him of the guards weren't in the way.

Next to the green eyes Amethyst was a taller one who had ocean blue eyes and wavy blonde hair that looked even silkier than Matthew's. He was only being held by one guard, and then the last guard was the one who was leading them towards two chairs across from King Ivan. As they passed, the green eyes one suddenly turned towards Alfred, making direct eye contact with him. Alfred gasped. It was only less than a second long, but the look still shocked Alfred. He was intrigued, but also felt a bit threatened. He could sense a hell lot of magic from within the Amethyst's bones.

Another thing shocked him. He didn't have any restraints, unlike the other blue eyes Amethyst. Why on earth was that?

The two magical beings were sat down roughly in chairs across from King Ivan. The King must have been a little curious about the green eyes one as well, for his gaze lingered on him a bit longer.

"It has been quite a long time since I've had Amethysts in mt castle." The King finally spoke. "Would you mind stating your names?"

There was a silence, and the guards nudged the prisoners harshly. Finally the taller one spoke up.

"Francis" He said curtly. Ivan beamed.

"Hello Francis. It is a pleasure to meet you" He said a bit mockingly. Then his gaze switched to the other one. "And what might your name be? You certainly seem interesting."

"...Arthur" The Amethyst said so quietly that Alfred had trouble hearing him.

"What a lovely name. Now guards, would you mind telling me why Arthur has three guards holding onto him, as well as nothing to secure him?" Ivan asked pleasantly.  
There was a short pause until one of the guards spoke up.

"Your Majesty, we tried ropes but he kept somehow burning them...then we switched to chains but he melted them!"

Many people in the crowd gasped softly, obviously fearing Arthur. Alfred however, felt something different. A part of him wanted to grab Arthur and bring him out of here, before Ivan could sentence him imprisonment or death...why was he feeling this? He should have no remorse for an Amethyst!

"How strange. It makes sense though. I can sense a lot of magic in you, my little Amethyst. Who are your relatives?" Ivan asked.

"If you don't mind me saying, I thought that we were here to discuss something about a disappearance? My magic is private thank you, and I dislike talking about it with all due respect sir." Arthur said, almost sharply. The audience stifled from any movement.

...

"Of course" Ivan finally responded. "Let's get to business then. Francis and Arthur, a student has run away from the Veitra Academy. He was alo one of my personal assistants. Do you perhaps know someone by the name of Toris Laurinaitis?" He asked. Arthur tilted his head a bit, as if trying to remember.

"Hmmm...Toris, Toris, Toris...what an odd name. I don't recall ever hearing it until now. What about you Francis, does it ring a bell?" Arthur asked, obviously not taking it seriously. This also had Alfred intrigued. Arthur was talking disrespectfully to the Veitra King of all people!

"Toris?" Francis asked, smiling a little at Arthur. "Non, I do not remember ever knowing someone with such an odd name."

"Enough!" One of the guards near Arthur snarled, thwacking Arthur's head. Ivan sat with his hands folded.

"Judging by the sound of your accents, I believe that Arthur is a Britannia. This is very odd, because I know for a fact that Britannia is under full control of the Veitras. Francis however, sounds form Gaul, which is in the process of being invaded. Hmm, how odd."

"I demand to know why you think it's civil to just bloody capture us and then expect us to comply with answering your questions!" Arthur shouted. "I refuse to be treated like this when I haven't done anything. I don't know your stupid Toris, and I don't give a shite about your so called Veitra government! All you do is destroy and hurt people, and frankly I don't like it!"

Excitement filled the court room. Arthur was smacked very hard in the face by a guard, and Alfred could see that Francis was fuming because of it.

"I agree with mon cher Arthur!" He said proudly. "You Veitras are just dirty scum who deserve to be brought to justice!"

That earned Francis a smack too, and you could clearly see that the King was not happy.

"Lock them up!" He roared. "Starve them! Beat them! Whip them! Make those two Amethysts regret speaking this way to a King!" Ivan snarled. "But keep that one alive" He pointed to Arthur. "He is very powerful, and could be of great use to us."

"Nobody will lock us up" Arthur said sternly. "We are Amethysts, and you will regret ever taking us here in the first place!"

Arthur's fists were shaking, he seemed to be on the verge of exploding. When one of the guards tried touching Arthur's shoulder, it happened. Arthur snapped, screaming at the lop of his lungs as a bright yellow glow of light burst from his palms. Everyone screamed at the curtains caught fire, and the windows shattered. Glass was flying everywhere, and many people had to duck down.

Ivan had retreated behind his chair, cowering from the glass and fire. Alfred quickly grabbed onto Matthew and ducked them both under the seats. The whole room was out of order. People screamed, running out and about. Guards were yelling frantically to each other, younger children cried, and woman were shrieking.

Then all at once, everything stopped. The windows were perfect again, the curtains were repaired, and no trace of ash or smoke was in the room. Everyone stopped screaming at once.

Everything was normal...

But Arthur and Francis were missing.

**a/n: Pretty weird huh? I don't even know where I came up with this...**

**Do you like it? Hate it? Want me to add a few more chapters? **

**Tell me what you think please...and don't worry, I will work on my other stories immediately. **

**:)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Before you read, I just want to apologize for how long it took me to post this. I was originally going to update last month, but I found out that it had been deleted off of the computer. I was so sad that I just ignored the story and moved onto others. Luckily a few days ago I found a copy I had apparently saved in the documents of one of my backup email accounts. So here it finally is, and thank you so much to all the reviewers last time!  
**

**Enjoy!  
**

_"I can't do it Tino!" Arthur snarled, hands clenched into fists as he stared at the soil in front of him angrily. _

_"Come on now Arthur, you're almost there! Just concentrate a little harder. Focus on nothing but the earth. Feel the energy of the seed planted. Let the feeling flow through your body. You can do it!" Tino encouraged from beside him.  
_

_The Thirteen year old teen once again tried to clear his mind, focusing on nothing except for the soil. Three inches below the soil was a wild rose seed. Today's task was to make it grow all the way in a matter of a minute. Flower growing wasn't supposed to be a hard thing. Children who were several years younger than Arthur could do it with a bit of teaching. For Arthur though, it was different. He had been sitting here for over an hour, and no progress was being made whatsoever.  
_

_Tino kept encouraging and praising Arthur the whole time, and it was starting to get on Arthur's nerves. Why on earth should he be praised for doing nothing? All of this didn't make any sense. If he was somehow powerful enough to transport himself across the entire bloody world then growing a flower should take nothing. This wasn't the case whatsoever. By now, his intemperate emotions were getting the better of him. He wasn't going to be able to stand sitting here much longer and face the inevitable failure. He would just make a fool of himself.  
_

_Arthur waited a few seconds. Suddenly there was a small flicker...he felt a strange feeling course through his veins. Almost as if the seed was living within him. However, a second later the feeling was gone.  
_

_"You we're almost there Arthur! You had the feeling of life, didn't you? I saw it in your eyes! That meant you were on the verge of making it grow!" Tino said excitedly, clapping his hands in joy. Unlike Tino, Arthur was not feeling any joy. He was angry.  
_

_"NO, I WAS NOT ALMOST THERE!" He shouted, standing up from his crouching position. "Can't you understand? My magic is flawed! I'm not something special! I am just an abomination to our sacred world. Nothing more...nothing more!"  
_

_"Wait Arthur, that's not true!" Tino said, standing up as well, and putting two hands on the teen's shoulders. "You are VERY special. The best magic producers always develop the slowest. One day, you will reach full power."  
_

_"I doubt it" Arthur argued. "My magic will never truly be worthy of the Amethysts."  
_

_"That's not true" Tino assured him. "It may take some time, but eventually your true power will emerge. Give it some time to develop. It may show up at the strangest times...so have faith."  
_

_"But how do you know?" Arthur pressured him.  
_

_"You just have to trust me. I've seen it before." Tino told him with a small smile. "Anything could trigger it. Like an emotion for instance. And emotion such as love, hate, or even fear."  
_

_"I hate the Veitra magic bearers." Arthur stated bluntly. "T-they killed my mum and brothers...and possibly even my littlest brother. Why wouldn't my hate for them be the trigger?"  
_

_"Do you really want hate to be the source of your powers?" Tino asked him, violet eyes shining wisely.  
_

_"No" Arthur muttered. "Because then I would be no better then the Veitras."  
_

_"Exactly" Tino said, tapping Arthur on the end of the nose with his finger, chuckling as Arthur scooted away. "We are Amethysts. That means that we live peacefully. Our purpose it not to fight in war. It is to help nature grow, and to help life to the fullest. We work together to make beauty, as Francis says."  
_

_"Beauty is all that frog talks about" Arthur grumbled. "But I suppose he may be partly right. After all, nature is the true form of beauty."  
_

_"You are very right Arthur. And not only are you very powerful, but you are also wise as well. You will make a great difference in the world someday. I can tell." Tino said, patting Arthur on the back. "Now I believe it's time for midday meal. Shall we go wash up?"  
_

_"Alright" Arthur said, immediately feeling a bit better. Tino's words always seemed so reassuring and calm. A small part of him hoped that the older Amethyst was right. Would he perhaps become as powerful as Tino thought he would? Well, only time could tell...  
_

_As the two Amethysts walked away, a beautiful ruby red wild rose slowly emerged form the ground. The farther that the two walked away, the further the rose wilted. Eventually it completely sunk back into the ground as Arthur disappeared into the house after Tino.  
_

_...  
_

_"Arthur"  
_

_...  
_

_"Arthur!  
_

_...  
_

_"ARTHUR"!  
_

_...  
_

"Gah!" Arthur gasped, opening his eyes. As soon as he did, he was blinded by light. Everything was blurry, so he squinted, hoping to gain back his sight. Blinking a few times, Arthur saw Francis' face come into focus in front of him. His blonde hair was messy, and his blue eyes were round with worry.

"Oh thank goodness, you're alright!" Francis sighed with relief, crushing Arthur into a hug. "I thought you were sick, or injured, or harmed in some sort of way!"

"I'm fine frog, now get off!" Arthur snarled.

"Well if your fine, then would you mind telling me where on earth you transported us to?" Francis asked.

"Transported?" Arthur asked in confusion. Then everything came rushing back to him. Getting captured, burning the ropes, being held on trial for _nothing_! Then he had gotten angry at the King of the Veitras. He couldn't remember much after that, except for screaming and possible shattering of glass. Looking around, Arthur saw...trees. They looked to be in the depths of the forest. But where?

"Where are we Francis?" He muttered.

"You are the one who brought us here, mon petit lapin, so I was hoping that you would have the answer." Francis replied. "But by the looks of it we are deep in a forest. Which forest however, I haven't a clue."

"H-how on earth did I do it?" Arthur whispered. If he still had trouble with normal magic, then how on earth could he teleport himself and Francis somewhere? That sort of magic was the kind that most adult Amethysts could even do, and he hadn't even been trying!

"It was quite stunning Arthur, but very brilliant" Francis told him. "You turned the whole trial room into complete chaos. Windows shattered, people were horrified...even the King himself! We really must tell Tino when we get back home. Hopefully we're close."

"Don't get your hopes up. Last time I did this I ended up all the way from Britannia to here! Across the world." Arthur said. "But we should probably get a move on to home before it turns nightfall."

"Oui, your right" Francis said.

As soon as Arthur stood up he gasped, falling back down onto the soft moss covered ground. It was almost as if his limbs couldn't even function properly. He was extremely weak!

"Arthur!" Francis yelled in alarm, quickly going over to the prone younger man. "What's wrong?"

"My legs! They feel terribly weak...like all of my energy is gone." Arthur told him.

"That makes sense. Last time this happened, we found you laying on the forest floor, very sickly and weak. If your not sick this time then we must not be as far away from home." Francis said, perking up a little. "If we go East then it wont take us long to get back. I'll have to carry you."

"What? No way!" Arthur protested.

"Would you rather sit here and wait for the night beasts to appear?" Francis asked him, and eyebrow raised.

"Dammit...fine" Arthur finally gave up. Francis gently scooped Arthur up in his arms before walking in east. It wasn't that hard, as Arthur was far too bony and skinny for his age. Tino was always trying to get him to eat more, but no matter how much food was stuffed into him, he never seemed to grow! That was why a lot of people mistook him for being younger, around 15 instead of his 18 year old self.

"By the looks of it we aren't that far away from home. I'm beginning to recognize some of these surroundings." Francis spoke positively, and after looking around a bit Arthur saw that he was right. They passed the tree with two branches, the cluster of moss rocks...yes, they were only a mile away or so.

"I'm starving. Hurry Francis, maybe we can make it back in time for supper."

**_()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()_**

King Ivan was furious, as well as the rest of the Veitra guards. They had been outwitted by two prisoner Amethysts! It was humiliating to the Veitra magical race. All of the citizens were ushered out of the courtroom while the guards got to work with King Ivan.

"Wow, I can't believe it! That green eyed one...unbelievable." Matthew said to Alfred as they walked back to the academy.

"Yeah, I know" Alfred mumbled. He was intrigued by the green Amethyst. Not only by his powers, but just by...him. Out of all those other people in the court, he had chosen to make eye contact with him! What was his name...Arthur! Yes, _Arthur_!

"What do you think will happen now?" Matthew wondered.

"Huh?" Alfred said, breaking from his thoughts. "Oh, well I suppose the King will look for them. You know how furious he is. I mean honestly, he lost to two prisoners. Now he'll make it his goal to find them, especially Arthur."

"Arthur?" Matthew questioned.

"Y'know, the green eyed one?" Alfred told him. "Didn't you hear him speak his name when the King asked?"

"Oh yeah. That's odd, usually you don't remember names." Matthew said. Whatever else he was going to say was interrupted by Antonio. Accompanying him was Gilbert Beilschmidt, Ludwig's older brother. Gilbert wasn't a student, but he was a Veitra soldier. He didn't exactly have the best reputation though. Everyone knew that Gilbert didn't exactly despise Amethysts. He had even voiced his opinion aloud a few times. If it hadn't been for Ludwig's good reputation then likely Gilbert would not be a soldier. He'd probably even be locked up.

"Did you fucking see that shit?" Gilbert asked them excitedly. "Ksesese, and did you see the look on the King's face? Ha, that little green eyed Amethyst sure showed him!"

"Quiet Gil, someone might hear you. This isn't a laughing matter." Matthew shushed him. Alfred knew that Matthew and Gilbert were close, but he wondered _how_ close. He didn't exactly want his brother hanging around someone like Gilbert. Sure the guy was cool, but he didn't want his brother getting into trouble. Gilbert might be a bit protected because of Ludwig, but the Veitra law would show no mercy for Matthew if he bad mouthed the king or encouraged the Amethysts.

"This news is going to be spread all over the New World. Both of those Amethysts sure better have a good hiding spot. Every single Veitra soldier is going to be looking for them." Antonio said.

"Even I will" Gilbert said. "It would be an honor to meet them! I can thank them for making the King look like a fool in front of the whole court!"

Matthew promptly smacked Gilbert again. "Quit saying those things in public!"

Soon they reached the Academy. Gilbert said farewell, for the reason he had come was to visit his little brother Ludwig. Matthew and Antonio went down to dinner, but surprisingly Alfred decided to skip and go back to his dorm. He didn't feel like eating, he had too much to think about.

Amethysts were bad. They didn't use the right type of magic. Instead of using human magic, they used fairy magic. That wasn't good. It was evil. Right? And the King was only getting rid of them because they were evil and a threat to the Veitras. Right?

Why was he beginning to doubt all of this? Was if Toris had been right all along? Suddenly his friend's words replayed in his head. _'We've talked about this. I don't believe in the Veitra ways. Feliks showed me the right way to handle magic. Oh Alfred...if only you could see the way that Amethysts live. Everything is so free!'_ That was what Toris had told him.

Alfred squeezed his eyes shut, rubbing his temples. Toris was his best friend. Maybe he hadn't been brainwashed by the Amethysts. Honestly though, who could Alfred believe? It was said that the Amethyst people would hypnotize and brainwash those around them...or at least it was a pretty big rumor. Rumors weren't always true though.

"Why didn't I stop you when I had the chance Toris?" He groaned aloud to himself, smoothing down the covers of his bed. Now it was just him, Matthew, and Antonio staying there since Toris had been the other room mate. It was strange to look over and see his empty perfectly made bed. The pictures that he normally kept on the wall were gone so it looked like nobody had even stayed there.

"So you do know about Toris, don't you?" a voice asked softly from the doorway. Alfred spun around, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw that it was only Matthew.

"Yeah. Sorry I lied to you before, but I didn't want you to get in trouble." Alfred replied. "Hey, aren't you supposed to be eating dinner?"

"You're supposed to be eating dinner as well. I knew that something had to be bothering you. After all, when's the last time you ever skipped a meal willingly?" Matthew said with a chuckle. He then sat down on the end of Alfred's bed, making himself comfortable.

"You can go on ahead," Alfred told him glumly. "I've got too much stuff to think about."

"Why don't you tell me a little more about it? Talking can help, you know." Matthew suggested. Alfred sighed, drawing his knees to his chest. Matthew observed his brother closely. Alfred's sky blue eyes were clouded over with remembrance. His face was absent of it's usual grin, and his hands were folded together tightly.

"It...it started awhile ago. At least several months." He said, throat suddenly dry. "Apparently he tried wandering outside the city to hunt, and he ran into some Amethyst called Feliks. I guess that started talking and became friends or some shit like that. He came back and told me everything. Obviously I told him how stupid he was being, but it didn't stop him from going back."

"How many times did they, er, meet up?" Matthew wondered.

"Trust me, a lot. At least twice a week. He would go out after sundown and come back before sunup, somehow without getting caught. Then he started sprouting out this stuff about how great their magic was, and how amazing their little village was." Alfred told him. "Then suddenly he told me he didn't like it here and was going to leave and study with the Amethysts. How fucked up is that?"

"Al, do you really truly hate the Amethysts?" Matthew asked him solemnly.

"What kind of a question is that? Of course I do!" Alfred answered almost instantly.

"Is it because you yourself hate them, or because we have always been taught to hate them?" His twin once again asked.

"Mattie, what are you playing at? Why do you keep asking such nonsense? I told you to just keep those things to yourself. We're not supposed to like our enemy. Do you know how much trouble Amethysts have caused us? If you ask this stuff to anyone else then they wont hesitate to lock you up, especially since we're going to be true Veitra people soon instead of just students." Alfred told him angrily.

"It just doesn't make sense to hate a race that you've never even personally met!" Matthew shot back.

"Because we already know about the Amethysts! They use Fairy Magic Mattie, Fairy Magic! Do you know how dangerous that is? We've tried to ask them to learn our ways, but they refuse. We're only doing what's best for the world."

"Even killing people?" Mattie stated quietly, though it almost didn't sound like a question.

"Yes, even killing people. Only as a last resort though," Alfred answered.

"I don't think King Ivan uses it as a last resort." Matthew said.

"Look Matthew, I don't have time for this shit right now, I already have too much on my mind. My best friend is a traitor, and it's partly my fault for not stopping him. You need to stop being so soft or you wont last a week in the real world!" Alfred exploded angrily. He hadn't meant to shout, but he was just confused and sick of everything right now. The damage was done though, for Matthew glared at him and stormed from the room angrily.

"Dammit..." He cursed, squeezing his eyes shut. "What the hell am I supposed to do with myself?"

**_()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()_**

When Francis and Arthur arrived back at the village, everyone was extremely happy. Tino had been the most worried, because he when he came out for Arthur and Francis the night before he had sensed that something bad had happened, but there was nothing he could do for the sake of protecting the villagers. Besides, he knew that Francis and Arthur were smart and could probably work their way out of anything. He had never felt so relieved upon seeing them. The villagers crowded around the two of them. Arthur has passed out once again, otherwise he would be blushing furiously at the whole village seeing him being carried.

"What happened to you? Arthur, what's wrong?" Tino asked as he hurried over, with Berwald wight behind him.

"He's just weakened Tino, he used a lot of magic." Francis said in a hushed voice so only Tino and Berwald could hear. "Why don't I explain when we get inside?"

"Alright, that sound reasonable. Here, Berwald can you carry Arthur? Francis looks exhausted." Tino stated, observing the two younger Amethysts.

"Mhm" Berwald answered, taking the unconscious teen from Francis' arms. With that, they headed back towards their hut. Tino stayed behind for a moment reassuring the other Amethyst villagers that everything was fine to to go back about their business. Once inside, Francis collapsed into one of the kitchen chairs.

"Berwald, could you put Arthur to bed? I'm going to get started on making hot soup for both of them." Tino instructed. He grabbed the kettle and began using the water pump to fill it. Then with a flick of his hands the cold water turned hot and steamy. A minute later Berwald came back from the loft, and he sat next to Francis at the table. Tino soon joined them, handing out herbal tea.

"What happened Francis? Was it the Veitras?" He asked.

"Oui, it was. They were searching for Toris." Francis answered. "We were brought to the city in front of their King! He is a very rude person, I have never seen such a horrid leader. Do not be worried though, they don't know about out village."

"Goodness, how terrible." Tino said, eyes wide. "How did you ever get out?"

"It was because of Arthur. Mon dieu I've never seen anything like it before. He just got very angry and then caused some sort of earthquake! I'm not quite sure what happened afterwords, but we both awoke only about a mile from here." Francis explained.

"So he teleported back like th' last time?" Berwald asked.

"Yes, it sounds exactly like what he did when he first ended up here. Of course luckily you got back here instead of going to a different country. Thank goodness he isn't sick like that last time. I knew Arthur was special! This just proves my point!" Tino declared happily.

A little while later Arthur woke up, thankful to discover that he was back in his own bed. Nothing beat soft feathered silk in his opinion. Thankfully he tried sitting up and was able too.

"Arthur, you're awake! I was just coming up to check on you!" Tino said, his head poking up into the loft.

"Ah, yes" Arthur answered, sitting up a little straighter. "I'm glad to see that Francis got us home alright."

"Yes, we were so worried about you two! Here now, I've brought up some tea. I want to to drink all of it, because I put in some medicine to help you regain some strength." Tino informed him, sitting on Arthur bed as he passed him a cup filled with hot tea.

"Thank you" Arthur murmured, taking a long sip. Almost instantly he felt more alert.

"Francis explained what happened" Tino spoke suddenly. "I was right Arthur, you are very powerful. I've never felt such power in someone so young."

"Young?" Arthur questioned, raising an eyebrow. "I happen to be eighteen summers."

"Precisely, you're still so young. Once you reach thirty then I'll view you as a fully mature adult." Tino said, laughing. Age was another thing with Amethysts, and possibly Veitras too. Their lifespan didn't last forever, but a Magic Bearer could live a lot longer then a regular human. For instance, Tino was sixty two but he didn't look a day over 25. Once you reached eighteen your aging process slowed down quite a bit. A healthy Magic Bearer normally lived to be around 150 if there wasn't any complications.

"Well...I'm still not a child anymore." Arthur said, crossing his arms.

"Perhaps" Tino said, light violet eyes twinkling. "Now finish your tea. Afterwords you can explain to me what you remember. Francis told me the basics, but I want details."

Arthur nodded, drinking the last of his tea before explaining everything to Tino he could remember.

**_()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()_**

"What's going on now?" Alfred asked Antonio the next morning. Bells outside were clanging, and apparently everyone was being called to the city square.

"They're caught some more Amethysts. Apparently they're going to execute them or something. We're all supposed to watch." The Spanish Veitra explained. It was just after breakfast, and everyone was hurrying outside. Matthew hadn't spoken a word to Alfred since their conversation last night. Alfred felt bad for snapping at his brother, and he really wanted to apologize. Matthew was most likely already outside though.

"Executed? What crimes have they committed?" Alfred wondered aloud.

"Nothing really. Apparently the King had ordered all Amethysts found within a twelve mile radius of Veitra territory to be killed. Well, unless it's that green eyed Amethyst. He's going to reward whoever catches him with twenty pounds of diamond!" Antonio told Alfred excitedly. Alfred felt his head swim. The King was going to kill innocent Amethysts? That didn't exactly sound right. Well...he supposed that all Amethysts were evil, but shouldn't they have committed at least some sort of crime before they were killed? The King must be really furious. Another thing was the green eyed Amethyst. Why did King Ivan want him so bad? Sure, the Amethyst was really, really, REALLY powerful, but why would that matter? He was on the opposite side...

"Wow, twelve pounds of diamond. He must really want that Amethyst." Alfred commented. Inside something was screaming at him in anger at the idea of Arthur being caught. What would the King do to him? Arthur hadn't even really done anything bad. After all, all the damage was instantly undone after they had disappeared. He internally beat himself up for thinking in such a way. Arthur deserved to be caught..after all, he was too powerful to be roaming about in the wild of the Amethysts. God, why did he keep calling him Arthur? He didn't even know him! He was just an Amethyst, that was all.

Once they reached the center square of the city, Alfred felt his eyes widen. He was expecting to see two men Amethysts of something. Instead, chained up and standing in the center was a woman, and a boy who looked no older than ten. They were going to kill a helpless woman and her child? That wasn't right...not right at all.

Alfred looked away from the two Amethysts, and suddenly he caught sight to Matthew not too far away. He quickly pushed through the crowd to stand next to his brother. Much to Alfred's shock, Matthew's eyes were welled with tears that had yet to fall. When Alfred reached his side Matthew looked up.

"So you think we Veitra people are right to do this? Neither Amethyst did anything wrong, they were just gathering food, on their own land nonetheless." He said gravely. Alfred suddenly felt very guilty, even though he had taken no part in capturing these innocent people.

"I...I didn't know" He muttered, eyes going back to the prisoners. Surprisingly the woman looked strong. Her tunic was dirty and in shreds, and she clasped her child's hand tightly, but she didn't look weak. She stood there proudly, emotionless eyes gazing at the crowd around them. The child on the other hand kept giving muted sobs, clutching onto his mother tightly.

King Ivan sat in a chair not far from them. He held up a hand and everyone fell silent. He stood tall and smug, smirking at the soon to be dead Amethysts.

"Let this be a lesson to all of the Amethyst scum. If one of them humiliates me, then all will suffer!" He called out to the crowd. Some people cheered while others, particularly the younger students, were silent. As Alfred stared at the King's sick twisted grin, he decided that he hated King Ivan. These people didn't deserve to die...but there was nothing he could do except sympathize the two.

"They don't deserve this! You're a horrible King!" Someone spoke up form the crowd. It took a moment for Alfred to come to terms with who had said it. Oh no...oh god. Fuck!

Matthew stood tall, even as others around him gasped. The King looked confused at first, and then angry.

"So you dare disagree with our ways? You are not worth such thoughts. You are only a student, but not for long!" Ivan yelled. "You shall be taught a lesson!"

"NEIN! Wait a moment!" Gilbert had emerged from the crowd. "This young one is just upset. He's a little slow in the head. Give him some time to understand, I promise your Majesty, he understands the Veitra ways, I assure you."

Alfred was shocked. Before he could say anything, Gilbert had already come by and grasped Matthew by the arm.

"I'll bring him back to his school, he's probably coming down with something." Gilbert said, tugging Matthew away slowly. Ivan studied them both for a moment, his eyes cold.

"Very well, but don't be satisfied. I shall deal with him later, after I have killed these scum." Ivan said. Alfred felt his heart thud, and a burst of anger came over him.

"Don't you dare touch my brother! He hasn't done anything wrong! People can express their opinions!" As soon as the words left his mouth he knew they were a mistake. Shit! He took off as fast as he could after Gilbert and Matthew before he could hear what the King said. Gilbert had broken into a run while holding onto Matthew's arm, and Alfred followed. Much to his surprise Gilbert wasn't going in the direction of the school. He was going the opposite way.

"W-where are we going?" Matthew asked in alarm.

"You and your brother are leaving. Go away from here, go east, find Toris. Whatever you do, don't fucking come back here." Gilbert replied. "Now hurry up, we have to get you guys away from here before the execution is over!"

"East? You want us to go with the Amethysts?" Alfred was in shock.

"Ja, that is exactly what I want you to do! If not, you'll just be locked up. It was right of you to speak up, but it was also a very stupid thing to do." Gilbert told them. "I wish I had the balls to speak outright like that to the King."

They arrived at the outer metal fences of the city. Beyond them was nothing but thick forest. Much to Alfred's surprise, there was already a perfectly dug hole under the fence.

"I found this spot yesterday. By the looks of it this is the way your friend Toris escaped without going through the front gates." Gilbert told them. "Now hurry up and go!"

"But Gilbert, you have to come too!" Matthew pleaded. "What if the King takes out his anger on you?"

"That doesn't matter. I can't leave mein bruder." Gilbert told him. "Now leave. Be safe Birdie."

Matthew didn't move, and so Alfred acted quick and grabbed his brother's arm, dragging them towards the hole. Alfred went first. He slip into the opening, being careful not to get his tunic caught on the fence. Soon after Matthew followed.

"Hurry up, we've gotta get out of here!" Alfred ushered him. Matthew finally made it out. By mistake though, he accidentally cut his leg on some of the sharp metal sticking out of the fence. He winced, but paid it no mind.

"G-goodbye Gilbert" Matthew said.

"Go!" The Albino Veitra guard yelled at them. Alfred grabbed Matthew's hand rand ran with him into the forest. The last thing they could hear was clapping, and the screaming of the poor Amethysts as they were killed by whatever execution curse the King had used.

**_()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()_**

**48 Hours Later:**

Alfred had no idea where they were. He had been heading east, but so far there was so sign of life. The first day they had only traveled for a few hours before hiding in a small cave to make camp. What was even worse right now was Matthew. A few hours ago Alfred had noticed his brother limping. Matthew told him he was fine, but then a little while later he had developed a fever and passed out in the middle of their journey.

Matthew's face was pale, and a sheet of sweat covered his skin. Obviously he was very sick. Alfred had soon found out the source of his brother's pain. On the lower back part of Matthew's leg was a very jagged and nasty deep cut. The skin around it was swollen and colored an angry red. The cut itself dripped a clear liquid that was obviously puss.

"Oh god Mattie" Alfred whispered in horror to his unconscious brother. "You're the one who was going to be a Healer. You know I'm no good at this medical stuff...shit, I don't know what to do."

Eventually Alfred had torn a piece of his tunic and tried wiping away the dirt from the cut before wrapping it. It didn't do much except cover it. What he really needed was to find a water source to he could clean the wound properly. He slung Matthew over his shoulder and descended upon their journey once again, but this time he was only looking for water.

He just about cried with joy when he heard the trickle of a stream nearby. Wherever he was, it was beautiful. Wildflowers surrounded the stream, and the air felt so fresh and nice. The stream itself was nice and clear. Alfred gently placed Matthew down and cupped his hands into the water, taking deep gulps the the refreshing liquid. Once he had drank he turned his attention to Matthew.

Ever so carefully he unwrapped Matthew's leg, placing it into the water. Alfred then tore another strip from his clothing, wetting it and gently cleaning the cut. He really wasn't sure what to do after that. Obviously Mattie needed medicine or something, but Alfred sucked at the sort of stuff. He sat kneeling in front of the stream for a few moments, not sure what to do, or where to go next. Suddenly he heard a snapping of twigs from behind.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here?"

Alfred's head snapped around to see who had spoken. His blue eyes widened as they stared into bright green counterparts.

It was the powerful Amethyst.

Arthur.

**a/n: So how was that? It looks like Alfred is finally going to meet Arthur face to face. Yay!**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it! Reviews are appreciated!  
**


	3. Chapter 3

After completing his morning chores, Arthur decided to return to his beloved stream once again so he could think properly. It had been difficult to convince the others that he would be fine alone. Everyone was still extremely wary due to the fact that the Veitras had captured him and Francis by the stream. Luckily while Francis was helping Berwald chop wood, he had been able to slip away.

Everything was as beautiful as ever. The wild roses practically glowed with beauty, and the clover covered grass was as green as ever, still damp from the morning dew. He should have brought a book down to read some more. Oh well, looking at this true beautiful nature was a thousand times better than a book, and that was certainly saying something due to the fact that Arthur treasured reading.

When he reached his most favorite spot, Arthur received the biggest shock of his life. Another person was sitting with his feet in the street, with a seemingly worried look on his face. He didn't seem that old, more like around Arthur's age. Arthur was in complete shock as he studied the others face. Those eyes...those sky blue eyes. The Amethyst was sure that he'd seen them before somewhere.

His gaze lowered from the face, and that was when Arthur's senses caught on. This man was a Veitra! He was wearing the red shirt with the symbol, everything! He didn't seem to have any weapons on him, but he was still obviously dangerous. He couldn't allow this Veitra to discover their village. He would run and tell the Veitra king or something! Taking a small step forward, Arthur cursed as he accidentally stepped on a twig. The Veitra spun around and came face to face with Arthur. His mouth dropped open in shock. Arthur said the first thing to come to mind.

"What the bloody hell are you doing here?"

The Veitra was still stunned, staring at Arthur as if he had three heads or something. It was a tad bit insulting. He didn't seem to look threatening or anything, just shocked.

"Y-you're Arthur!" The Veitra blurted out, blue eyes wide with awe. Arthur felt his stomach twist a bit, and was confused. How the hell did he know his name? That was when it came to him. Arthur had briefly gazed into those eyes at his trial. That Veitra had been one of the many people to observe the trial. Well that just proved that the Veitra was evil.

"Get away from here! Leave now before I kill you!" He spat, feeling his heart start to thump with fear. The villagers had been right, his beloved stream was unsafe now.

"Wait a second," The Veitra said, holding his hands out in surrender. "I'm not a threat! My brother...he's sick. I'm not out to hurt you or you're people."

Arthur then realized that this Veitra wasn't alone. Laying a few feet behind him was another one, and they looked almost like twins, save for a few differences. The one laying down obviously had a fever, and his breath came in heavy gasps. Judging by the fact that his leg was wrapped in tattered clothes meant that it was probably an infected wound. Tino could easily heal that, but if he did so then what would happen? They would probably run back to their city and report about the village. He could help them.

"I said leave. Go find help somewhere else. Now!" Arthur ordered.

"But...but you have to help! I don't know what to do. If I go back to the city they'll kill me. Please, we have nowhere to go!" Alfred pleaded, eyes glinting with desperation and exhaustion.

Arthur was going to yell at him again, but his thoughts drifted back to one of his conversations with Tino. If he treated the Veitras like dirty scum and hatred, then he would be no better than them.

"You're...you're telling the truth?" He asked, voice a little softer. "You've been banned from you're city?"

"Yes," The Veitra replied instantly. "Look, I swear to god! I spoke against the king...it was either run away or be killed. Please help me, I promise not to hurt you."

It did look pretty obvious that they must have been running away from their home. Both Veitra's wore tattered clothes with rips, and they didn't have parcels of food, weapons, or anything. Finally closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Arthur decided to grant them their help. Hopefully no lives of his people would suffer from his decision.

"Well...fine. I know someone who can help your brother. But so help me god if you try something, you'll be dead faster than you can say your King's name." Arthur said icily. "Now follow me."

The Veitra looked stunned for a moment, as if he had been expecting a no. Then when Arthur's words finally sunk in he smiled through disbelief.

"Really? That's great! I'm Alfred by the way, Alfred F. Jones. My brother is Matthew Williams." The Veitra, Alfred, told him brightly, stepping forward to hold out his hand. Arthur looked at the hand but ignored it, an emotionless expression on his face.

"Well then Alfred F. Jones, grab your brother and follow me," He said. "The village isn't that far from here."

Alfred smiled at him, running over and hoisting his unconscious brother into his arms. Arthur had already began walking away, so he was quick to follow. Maybe this Amethyst was okay. After all, he was nice enough to offer assistance. Little did he know, Arthur was feeling very uneasy about helping them. He smirked a little at seeing the Veitra look in awe at the surroundings. He had a reason to be in awe though. The Amethyst territory was much more beautiful then the Veitra's.

Arthur led him into the village. Other Amethysts saw sight to them and their faces grew pale. They were quick to retreat back into their huts. Arthur began to feel his face heat up a little. Why oh why had he chosen to be kind? Either way, as Tino would say, what's done is done. Speaking on Tino, he came rushing out of their own hut as seeing the sight of Arthur and the Veitras, with Francis and Berwald right behind him.

"What's happened here?" Tino asked calmly. He didn't look at all alarmed, just a tad bit curious.

"This is Alfred and his brother Matthew, who is ill from an infected cut. I figured you'd know what to do." Arthur answered him.

"Wow, how did you know it was from an infected cut?" Alfred questioned. "I don't remember telling you that."

"What else could it be you git?" Arthur snapped back at him. "His ankle is wrapped, there is dry blood, and he has a fever!"

"Oh," Alfred replied, a little embarrassed. There wasn't time to say anything more though. Tino stepped over to Alfred and began asking him questions about Matthew's injury, such as how long he's had it, and so on. Eventually he instructed Berwald to take Matthew from Alfred and bring him inside.  
Matthew was then set upon Tino and Berwald's big bed downstairs.

"Francis, can you go get some of my healing herbs from the garden? Make sure they're fully grown first. Berwald, can you get me some clothes dipped in warm water? And Arthur...please feed Alfred and show him to a bed in the loft. He looks dead on his feet." Tino instructed. Arthur grumbled, looking at the annoying blonde haired enemy who was standing in the middle of the hut, looking as if he'd never seem such a home before.

"Come with me," Arthur said, leading Alfred out back to their small garden. "You can pick some fruit while I get some venison."

"Oh, um, okay!" Alfred replied.

Twenty minutes later, the blue eyes Veitra was on his fifth helping of berries, dear meat, and melon. Arthur wondered if all Veitras had this big of appetite, or if it was just Alfred. Either way, they were going to run out of food fast if he gave him anymore helpings. While he ate, Arthur discretely studied the Veitra a little more. He was pretty tall, a few inches taller than Arthur himself. He was also in really good shape, judging by his muscular frame. His blue eyes sparkled behind square framed sight-spectacles. His hair was a healthy dark blonde, and pretty neat looking except for an odd cowlick sticking up. When he caught Alfred looking back at him, the Amethyst reddened and looked away.

"Are you finally finished?" He asked.

"Yup! Wow, your food is really good. This fruit is so fresh...not like the stuff at my old home." Alfred responded, popping one last berry into his mouth.

"Just follow me," Arthur replied, rolling his eyes. This Veitra was sure annoying. He led him up to the loft, and then pointed over to Francis's bed. "You sleep there." He told him.

"Alright, thanks dude." Alfred said. "Er...hey, got anything else I can wear? I don't want to dirty these pretty white blankets."

'Right," Arthur replied, cursing himself for not thinking of that earlier. "Hold on a moment."

He ran downstairs and got one of Berwald's extra tunics. It would be a tad bit large on the Veitra, but it would have to do. Alfred thanked him and fell asleep almost straight away. Arthur then climbed back downstairs to see how Tino was doing with Matthew. There was no doubt that he'd have to answer some more question too.

Matthew looked pretty pale still, but the color was slowly returning to his cheeks. Tino had dressed him in a fresh tunic, colored a crystal blue. His leg was smeared with special herbal medicine and no bandages covered it so the wound could air out a bit. Currently Tino was trying to get the half conscious Veitra to drink some broth.

"Ah, Arthur! How is Alfred doing?" Tino asked once the green eyed Amethyst came into view.

"He's asleep. I had to give him one of Berwald's tunics..." Arthur said, wandering over to the dining table where Berwald and Francis were sitting. It was evening now, and dinner for the Amethysts had yet to be served. None of them were really hungry though, so it didn't matter.

"Tell us more about these Veitras Arthur. Are they safe? They dont look like soldiers...are they just Veitra citizens?" Francis wondered.

"I doubt they they were soldiers, and even if they were it doesn't matter. They were banned from their city." Arthur answered, taking a seat beside the French Amethyst.

"Banned?" Berwald asked curiously.

"From speaking against their King or something," Arthur explained. "It was either be executed or run. I still cant believe that their kind actually executes people for something so trivial."

"Yes, it is quite a shame." Tino said as he came back from feeding Matthew. "We'll have to make them feel welcome here."

"W-wait a minute, what?" Arthur asked. "Are you saying that you're inviting them to _live_ in our village?"

"Well of course. Where else do they have to go?" Tino said.

"But Tino...what if they are really a threat? We've only known them for a few hours," Francis pointed out. "Feliks knew Toris for awhile before inviting him here."

"Sometimes you just know things," Tino told the two younger Amethysts. "And I know for a fact that these two wont cause any trouble."

"He's r'ght" Berwald added. "These two don't seem th't bad. They aren't threats."

"Perhaps..." Francis slowly. For a moment the four Amethysts sat silent in their own thoughts. Finally Tino suggested that they all get to bed. Unfortunately Arthur had to share his bed with Francis tonight, since he had given Francis's bed to Alfred for the night.

* * *

"Stop it Francis, you're hogging the covers!" Arthur snapped, only minutes after they had climbed into bed.

"It's not my fault you lent my own covers to a Veitra!" Francis shot back, tugging even more covers from the British Amethyst. For the next few minutes there was a rather violent battle over the covers. Finally they settled down after Tino, who had heard the noise, came up to give Francis an extra blanket.

"Hey, Arthur...why did you decide to help those two Veitras?" Francis asked after a moment of silence. Arthur took time to think about this before replying.

"I guess...I guess I didn't want to stood to their level. If a Veitra ever came across a sick or injured Amethyst then they'd probably just kill them" He said.

"Well, it was very nice of you to do it. Especially since they...killed your other family." Francis said, feeling a little guilty for bringing it up. Still though, he was curious.

"I know. To be honest I don't even know why I did it. It was sort of just a heat of the moment thing." Arthur said quietly, bringing up the covers more. Francis felt even more guilty for bringing up his real family. He could tell by the sound of Arthur's voice that he was thinking of them now.

"Arthur, I'm sorry" He whispered. "I didn't mean to make you remember. It's alright though, because now you have us. Me as a brother, and Tino and Berwald as parents. Besides, we're safe now. The Veitra soldiers wont find our village, and if they did then we would win the fight. After all, we have many powerful Amethysts. Tino, Elizaveta, you..."

"I'm not really that powerful. After all, I cant even control my magic." Arthur said dully.

"Listen to me mon lapin. You are very powerful, I know it for a fact. Now we should probably get some sleep, especially since we must deal with these new Veitra boys tomorrow." Francis said.

"You're right," Arthur agreed, closing his eyes and snuggling deeper into the mattress. "Good night Francis."

"Good night Arthur," Francis replied.

Little did they know, Alfred had been awake ever since their fight over the blankets. He was in complete shock, from something in particular that he'd heard them talking about. The fact that Arthur's family had been killed by Veitra's. For some odd reason that made him feel horrible, even though he'd had no part in killing them.

Maybe Toris had been right when he said that the Amethysts were good people. After all, Arthur had saved him, and he didn't even ask for payment, or attack him. These Amethysts weren't at all like the Amethysts they'd read about the supposedly bloodthirsty dirty creatures that used fairy magic. No, these Amethysts were...nice. Like regular people.

* * *

The next morning when Alfred awoke, he felt great. Maybe it was the soft mattress, or perhaps the yummy dinner, but either way he felt pretty damn good. Arthur and Francis were already gone from their beds, and Alfred decided that it was time to go make sure his brother was doing okay.

When he climbed down the loft ladder, Alfred studied the hut a bit more. It really was a beautiful place. The whole bottom floor was just one room. One area was a kitchen, the the other area had a big double bed. When he saw Matthew laying in the bed, he was quick to jump down from the rest of the ladder and run over to him.

"Mattie! Dude, are you okay?" Alfred asked, very relieved when he saw that Matthew was awake and eating some soup.

"I'm fine Al...my leg hardly hurts. I'm sorry for scaring you so much in the forest." Matthew replied.

"That's fine, I'm just glad you're better. Um...so the Amethysts treated you okay?" Alfred asked.

"Of course. Tino has very good healer skills...he knows loads more than they ever taught me at the Academy. For instance, did you know that moon berries can be used to treat eye injuries? And you can also use pepper herbs mixed with mint clovers to help clear up scars."

"You can also use the same mixture to grow hair, but you have to add twice the amount of pepper herbs." A voice said lightly from across the room. Alfred looked over to see the Amethyst called Tino. He was short, with very blonde hair and violet eyes.

"Oh, hello Tino," Matthew greeted the Amethyst as if they were good friends already. Alfred wondered just how much they had talked this morning.

"I made some breakfast Alfred. Cooked mushroom along with eggs. It's a very good meal!" Tino said, handing Alfred a bowl full of eggs and brown squares, which must have been the mushrooms. "But be careful, it's hot!"

Alfred thanked him and instantly dug in. Tino had been right, it was very good. He ate his breakfast while watching Tino tend to Matthew's leg once again. The Amethyst held his hand a few centimeters from the wound, and a bright yellow light flowed from his hand.

"W-what are you doing?" Alfred asked through a mouthful of eggs.

"Don't worry Alfred, it's just a spell to help ward off other infections." Tino told him kindly. As Alfred finished his meal, he got to know Tino a lot better. Somehow his words were just comforting. He told them how sorry he was for their problems with the king, and also told them that they were welcome to live in the village. Most importantly, Tino gave him some wonderful news.

"Alfred, this morning I held a meeting with the whole village to tell them about you two. When I did, one of our villages was very excited. He's still pretty new here himself, and he also happens to know you very well."

"Toris is here?" Alfred asked excitedly. "Can I see him? Where is he? Does he live in a hut thingy too?"

"Calm down now," Tino said with a chuckle. "I'll go call Arthur and have him take you to your friend."

A few minutes later, Arthur was grudgingly leading Alfred across the village. Alfred took his time to study the Amethyst that had saved them. He was skinny, but didn't look at all weak. His hair was straw colored and pretty untamed. His eyes were the best though, all green and pretty like an emerald, or the forest trees, and-

"Why the bloody hell are you staring at me?" Arthur's annoyed voice snapped Alfred from his thoughts.

"Oh, um, I...sorry." Alfred apologized, feeling a bit embarrassed. While they walked, Alfred turned his gaze to the small village. There were at least fifteen small huts, and Amethysts seemed to be doing their daily chores. They chopped wood, gardened, or cooked outside their huts. A few giggling children were using their magic to keep a small ball of water in the air and play toss with it. Alfred noticed something else though. Almost every single Amethyst smiled and greeted the two of them, despite knowing that Alfred was, or perhaps used to have been, a Veitra.

"Um, hey Arthur? How come everyone is smiling and saying hello to us" Alfred whispered as they walked through the village.

"What, do you expect them to throw rocks at us instead?" Arthur sneered.

"No, it's just that...well don't they know that I'm a Veitra?" Alfred asked.

"Yes. But you're not a threat are you?"

"No," Alfred answered.

"Then what reason would they have not to say hello?" Arthur told him. "I guess you're part of the village now. For the time being."

"Wow, you guys are really nice. I didn't expect this at all...not after the things my teachers taught me about you guys." Alfred said.

"We just want peace," Arthur said, a little softer this time. "It's not like we asked for war."

They didn't speak for the rest of the way there. When they reached Feliks's hut, Arthur didn't even bother to knock as he entered.

"Arthur, hey! I like, didn't even know you were coming this early! How's the other Veitra? Has his leg gotten better?" An Amethyst with bright green eyes,_ very_ bright green eyes, and shoulder length straight hair asked as they came inside. He was wearing a very frilly tunic, that almost looked like something a girl would wear. Alfred assumed that he was Feliks since he matched the description that Toris had once told him about.

"He's fine Feliks, Tino is taking very good care of him. Where's Toris?" Arthur asked.

"Right here!" An excited voice said from the doorway. Alfred turned and saw his best friend, whom he never thought he'd see again. Toris looked a lot different. His hair looked longer, and instead of wearing the simple red academy uniform, he wore a simple brown tunic with dark blue patterns, and was also barefoot like the other Amethysts.

"Toris..." Alfred breathed, barely wanting to believe it.

"Alfred! I'm so glad you're here!" Toris shouted happily, running over to embrace his friend.

* * *

"You're right Toris, these Amethysts are a lot different then I thought they would be. They don't seem evil at all!" Alfred said to Toris fifteen minutes later. He and Toris were walking amongst the village, just the two of them. Arthur had went home and Feliks was working on making more clothes, since his job was the clothes maker in the village.

"I told you so," Toris said teasingly. "Since when have I been wrong? Things are great here! You have free speech, you can use magic freely, and most importantly, everyone is welcome who isn't a threat! Feliks is the most wonderful person ever. I couldn't have asked for a better partner."

"Oh, that's right. You guys are dating. That's great!" Alfred replied. At first it seemed to odd to think of a Veitra and an Amethyst being in love, but slowly it began to settle in.

As Alfred and Toris talked, Alfred began to notice things. Along with his appearance, Toris had changes a lot personality wise as well. At the academy he had always been withdrawn and quiet, always fearful of doing the wrong thing. Here, Toris was completely different. He didn't seem to have any fear at all. He laughed, joked, teased, and smiled. It was brilliant.

"Hey Toris...how much do you know about Arthur?" Alfred found himself asking awhile later, his thoughts drifting to the Amethyst who he was now in debt too for saving him.

"Well, to be honest I do know some things. Arthur is good friends with Feliks, and Feliks has explained to me about Arthur." Toris replied.

"Can you tell me? I promise not to say anything." Alfred pleaded.

"Alright, as long as you promise. You see, Arthur arrived here around five or so years ago, all the way from Britannia. Apparently after his family was slaughtered by the Veitras as they invaded Britannia, he suddenly just used this surge of magic and teleported himself not far from this village. Francis found him, and he was nursed back to health by Tino and Berwald. Since then they've been his mentors. I guess Arthur is really powerful or something. He's just a tad bit late developing with his magic so it's hard for him to control it." Toris explained. Alfred listened the entire time without interrupting.

"Gee, I feel really bad for him. He seems like a cool dude." Alfred finally said.

"Well, maybe you can befriend him. I really think Arthur could use someone as bright as you. Perhaps you could make a difference. You are staying here now, right Alfred?" Toris asked.

"Sure. I mean, it's not like Mattie and I have anywhere else to go now. And you're right. I've decided my new goal. I'm going to be friends with Arthur!"

"I bid you luck then. You might need it. Arthur can be very stubborn from what I've heard. Just be patient." Toris told him.

"Right...well, I should probably head back to check on Mattie anyway. See you later Toris." Alfred said with a wave, heading back the way Arthur had taken him. It really wasn't that hard of a place to get lost in considering that it was such a small village.

As he wandered back, Alfred wondered how everything could change so suddenly all over the course of a few days. Just three days ago he had been safe and sound in the top Veitra city, almost ready to graduate and become a soldier. Now he was probably wanted for speaking against the king and running away, and now most differently of all, he was living with Amethysts.

All of this change was giving him a headache.

**a/n: Hope it was okay! Thank you so much for all the favorites, reviews, and alerts. **

**Reviews for this chapter are much appreciated!(:**


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